


The Power of Three

by Ellienerd14



Series: Holding Hands, Running The Long Way Round [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bill Potts appreciation day, F/F, Friendship, Me has such a crush on clara, The doctor has no idea what he’s missing, just gal pals and a diner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 12:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13927251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellienerd14/pseuds/Ellienerd14
Summary: Waiting outside the TARDIS for the Doctor, Bill meets two strange women who offer to take her to the stars and back before the Doctor finished his tea.She couldn’t say no to that.





	The Power of Three

Bill was usually happy to wait for the Doctor to return from what shenanigans he was up to, but really, can’t he just give her another TARDIS key? (She had lost one after an incident with her chip girl. “Flirting and lava,” the Doctor had muttered, “the only forces in the universe capable of destroying keys to the TARDIS.”)

But it was getting cold and wherever the Doctor had run off to had left Bill stranded outside a British police in 19th century France.

(In jeans and a Harry Potter shirt. If she was burnt as a witch, she’d have to kill him.)

Bill leant against the TARDIS and sighed. She was probably in for a long wait. 

“I’ve lost my friend,” a short woman complained, sitting on the icy steps next to Bill as if she and a police box didn’t stand out at all. The first thing Bill noticed was that the woman was incredible pretty but something about her didn’t exactly fit in with 19th century France - maybe her impressive swirling tattoos or the fact she had a lot of punk eyeliner on. “You’d think it would be easy to locate someone who’s from a completely different time but no, off she runs into danger. You can’t get the sidekicks these days.”

“Another time?” Bill repeated, finding herself smiling at the tiny (and yet somehow imposing) young woman. 

She rised an eyebrow. “I fit in better than you. Did the Doctor not offer you a dress?”

Bill’s interest peaked. “You know the Doctor?”

The woman nodded. “The Doctor is an old friend of mine. A very old friend.”

“You’re like him? A Time Lord? Or Time Lady?”

“I’m not like that,” she answered, bright-eyed, “but you’re clever. I like clever. Bill Potts I believe. No Heather?”

Bill looked up hopefully. “You know Heather? The Doctor said it’s a big universe! Is she looking for me?”

“Ah. Too early. I thought so. This is the first time we’ve met then. For you at least, _Bill Potts_.”

“So, we meet again? With Heather? Where is she?”

“So many questions. Not much has changed. Or will change.” The woman tilted her head. “So, answer mine. Have you seen my friend?”

“What does she look like?” Bill asked, hoping that befriending this strange woman would mean she’d get answers about Heather. Her face was young but unreadable in a way that made Bill suspect the Doctor wasn’t the only one who didn’t look his true age.

“Here.” She pushed forward a black and white photo of a woman with short brunette hair and an old fashioned waitress dress and chunky boots. Bill could see why she was so desperate to find her - she was the kind of beautiful that would earn her extra chips.

“I haven’t seen her. I’d remember, trust me.”

“She’ll show up, I’m sure,” the mystery woman said. She tilted her head and looked at Bill analytically. “You have more questions for me, I assume.”

“Yes. Who are you? Why are you in the past? How do you know the Doctor?”

“You can ask him about Me,” she replied, smirking slightly.

“I want to. What’s your name?” Bill pressed on eagerly. 

“Me is my name. It’s all that was left in a world that’s always changing apart from Me. You can ask him about the Woman Who Lived. The Doctor will know it’s Me.”

Bill had a hundred other burning questions but it seemed Me wasn’t willing to share any more information. “You really are an enigma.”

“For now,” Me replied, knowingly.

“How do you know my name then? Other than the fact you seem like a tiny evil genius in with a pretty face that is… old? Older than I’d think.”

Me smiled for the first time in their conversation. “Clever. My role is to watch over all of the companions of the Doctor. So, I wouldn’t consider myself an evil genius-”

“Just a chaotic neutral one?” Someone else finished. It was the woman from Me’s photograph in a long dress and short leather jacket; Bill temporarily forgot how to speak.

“Did Me do the stupid joke yet? I swear they only picked that name for the drama of it.”

“You’re the sidekick,” Bill blurted. 

“I’m Clara and I’m no one’s sidekick,” she replied. Clara threw her arm around Me’s shoulder and for the first time they broke their cool and collected act by blushing. “I hope you haven’t started telling people I’m the sidekick when I’m not around.” 

“Then don’t run off and I won’t have to call you the sidekick,” Me snarled back. 

“Clingy,” Clara remarked fondly. “What about you Bill? Looks like we’re in need of a sidekick.”

She spluttered. “You want me to go with you? I don’t know you.”

“Well, the Doctor’s locked you out, hasn’t he?” Clara leant against the TARDIS casually and smirked. “I’m much better at steering than him. I can get you back in time.”

Me tilted their head again. “I’ll be the one driving, Oswald.”

“If you say so dear,” Clara replied, rolling her eyes. (Me went rather flustered which Bill couldn’t exactly judge because she had flirted with a puddle.)

“I don’t know you,” Bill repeated, although she was considering more and more the longer Clara smiled at her.

“You can trust me,” Clara said, producing a key from her pocket and throwing it to Bill. “Even if you can’t trust Me. Why else would I have this?”

Bill recognised the rainbow keychain. “This is my key to the TARDIS. How’d-“

“You can go in if you want. Or we can take you on an adventure.” Clara and Me both turned around towards the street. “Your choice Bill Potts.” 

“By the way,” Me added, turning back, “our ship has a really good kitchen. You’re a chef - maybe you can help Clara make a souffle. She’s been trying over a hundred years. Save me the bad cooking.”

Bill tucked her key into her denim jacket’s pocket safely and caught up with the pair. “And I’ll be back before he notices?”

“Promise.”

“So,” Clara said, hooking her arms through Bill’s, “where to?”

**Author's Note:**

> For Bill appreciation week - friendship. 
> 
> I’ve never wrote Me/Ashildr before so let me know if I did them justice! 
> 
> Comments welcome!


End file.
